Traffic Concerns on Donegall Drive
The East York Community Council recommends adoption of the following report
(March 10, 1998) from the Commissioner of Development Services, East York:
Purpose:
To report to the April 1, 1998 East York Community Council further on the results of traffic studies
conducted during the temporary installation of turn restrictions onto Donegall Drive.
Financial Implications:
The proposed recommendations can be accommodated in the 1998 Budget.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) By-law No. 92-93, entitled "To regulate traffic on roads in the Borough of East York" be
amended to remove the "No Right Turn, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Monday to Friday" restriction for eastbound motorists on Fleming Crescent at
Donegall Drive; and
(2) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give
effect thereto.
Background:
The Council of the City of Toronto, at its meeting on March 4, 5 and 6, 1998, adopted the following
recommendations made by the East York Community Council at its meeting on
February 18, 19, 1998.
"The East York Community Council recommends that:
(1) the Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to replace the yield sign
at the intersection of Cameron Crescent and Macnaughton Road with a stop sign;
(2) the City Clerk be requested to poll the residents on Macnaughton Road and
Cameron Crescent between Millwood Road and Parkhurst Boulevard with respect
to the implementation of a right turn restriction from westbound Millwood Road onto
northbound Macnaughton Road from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.;
(3) the Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to report on alternative
solutions to the traffic problems on Fleming Crescent; and,
(4) the Metropolitan Toronto Police Department be requested to enforce speed and
parking restrictions on Macnaughton Road."
This report deals with the above-noted item No. 3 and reports on alternative solutions to the traffic
problems on Fleming Crescent. Staff have forward a request to the Toronto Police Service to
conduct appropriate enforcement measures on Macnaughton Road. Staff have also prepared a by-law amendment to replace the yield sign at the intersection of Cameron Crescent and Macnaughton
Road with a stop sign.
Discussion:
Previously, staff recommended that the eastbound right turn restriction introduced at the intersection
of Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive be rescinded. Traffic volumes on Fleming Crescent have
increased significantly since this turn restriction was introduced during the morning and afternoon
peak periods. Prior to the introduction of this turn restriction, traffic volumes on Donegall Drive
were generally evenly split between eastbound through and eastbound right turning movements. The
following table highlights the results of before and after studies conducted at the intersection of
Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive.
|
Morning Peak Periods |
Afternoon Peak Periods |
Before Turn Restrictions |
|
|
Eastbound Right Turns |
80 |
154 |
Eastbound Throughs |
89 |
139 |
|
|
|
After Turn Restrictions |
|
|
Eastbound Right Turns |
50 |
76 |
Eastbound Throughs |
143 |
251 |
The above table illustrates that, prior to the introduction of the peak period right turn prohibitions,
eastbound traffic volumes on Fleming Crescent were generally split between through and right turns
during both the morning and afternoon peak periods.
To augment the data collected for the February 4, 1998 report, staff conducted a traffic study at the
intersection of Fleming Crescent and Parkhurst Boulevard on a typical weekday in March. Traffic
volumes at this intersection indicated that during the a.m. peak period, 109 vehicles (97 percent of
approach volume) proceeded from northbound Fleming Crescent to eastbound Parkhurst Boulevard,
and during the p.m. peak period, 267 vehicles (93 percent of approach volume) were observed
performing the same movement.
Although origin/destination studies have not been conducted, the volumes outlined above are
consistent with the volumes expected with the majority of motorists accessing other areas of
South Leaside. Fleming Crescent is a natural access point to South Leaside given the signalized
intersection of Fleming Crescent and Bayview Avenue and the southbound peak period turn
restrictions at the unsignalized intersection of Bayview Avenue and Parkhurst Boulevard.
It is evident that the traffic travelling eastbound on Fleming Crescent, which is restricted from
accessing Donegall Drive due to the peak period turn restrictions at Donegall Drive and
Fleming Crescent, continues eastbound towards Laird Drive via Parkhurst Boulevard. Staff concur
with local residents that motorists are using Fleming Crescent to access Parkhurst Boulevard during
the morning and afternoon peak periods whereas they may have used Donegall Drive to access
Millwood Road prior to the introduction of the peak period turn restrictions.
Staff do not recommend, however, that further turn restrictions be implemented in this area of
South Leaside. The introduction of turn restrictions on an incremental basis, without reviewing the
system-wide implications, could result in traffic merely shifting between local streets in this area.
Residents on other local streets where traffic volumes have increased would, in all likelihood, expect
similar mitigation measures. It is anticipated that traffic would simply divert to northbound
Donegall Drive, and we would expect the residents of this section of Donegall to Drive to request
a northbound right turn restriction at Donegall Drive and Parkhurst Boulevard.
Donegall Drive has historically been used as a by-pass to Bayview Avenue. The introduction of
additional turn restrictions would severely limit access to the east by residents of Donegall Drive and
Fleming Crescent. These residents would be required to travel south on their respective streets and
access Parkhurst Boulevard via Cameron Crescent, or use Donegall Drive, south of Fleming
Crescent to access Millwood Road as an alternate eastbound travel route. In either case, they would
now be using local streets in their community which have historically not been used by these
residents for accessing Parkhurst Boulevard or Millwood Road.
Additional turn restrictions would also impact the ability of other Leaside residents to access their
streets. These residents would have to change their travel patterns and divert to other Leaside streets
such as Parkhurst Boulevard.
Conclusions:
The temporary installation of a "No Right Turn, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday to Friday"
restriction for eastbound motorists on Fleming Crescent at Donegall Drive has not demonstrated a
reduction in infiltrating traffic into this section of Leaside. It has merely relocated traffic volumes
from Donegall Drive onto Fleming Crescent. Given that traffic volumes were generally equal on
Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive before the peak period turn restrictions were implemented,
it is recommended that this "No Right Turn" restriction be removed.
It would not be prudent to implement a turn restriction at Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive
without introducing a similar turn restriction at Donegall Drive and Parkhurst Boulevard. Turn
restrictions at these 2 intersections would force local residents to use streets such as
Cameron Crescent and Donegall Drive for eastbound travel. Staff do not recommend the
introduction of any further turn restrictions in this area at this time.
Contact Name:
Peter Bartos, P.Eng., Transportation Engineer
East York Office
778-2225
pbartos@borough.eastyork.on.ca